Module 1 Reflection

Module 1 Blog Questions to contemplate this week: 1. How would you describe STEM education to a friend or family member in informal conversation? 2. Why do you think STEM education is (or is not) important? 3. What is the value of incorporating or enhancing STEM in public education?

STEM can be defined as any program that emphasizes science, technology, engineering or mathematics. For something to be labeled “STEM”, it does not have to incorporate all four subject areas all of the time. In fact, some organizations have added the arts for STEAM, or even religion for STREAM. In schools, STEM education looks like providing schools with professional development, materials and partnerships that emphasize the four main areas of STEM study. Educating today’s students in courses that emphasize STEM theoretically will better prepare students for the workplace of the future. Although no one can exactly predict the future job market, it is assumed that the problem solving, collaborative, and creative skills that accompany STEM education in our schools would transfer to successful future employment – even if students do not choose to work specifically in a STEM field. Incorporating STEM education in public schools is important because it will help prepare students for their futures. Today, STEM students in public schools are exposed to not only new skills, but new performance expectations. For example, if students are learning how to code, they don’t just get the right or wrong answers. In any STEM activity, there is usually more than one ‘right’ answer or solution to the problem. Students have to persevere through the challenges of their task and make adjustments to arrive at the appropriate conclusion. Cooperating to find the best solution is encouraged, if not required. It is an exciting time to be a science educator! After viewing the LiveBinder resources I have had a chance to collect my thoughts and add to my knowledge of STEM in education. First, let me talk about what my opinions need improvement on. I noticed that many of the articles and videos addressed the lack of the female presence in fields involving science, technology, engineering and math. Women are underrepresented in these fields for a variety of reasons, but the main reason appears to be the long perpetuated myth that women are unskilled in these areas. Evidence suggests that women are more studious and thus better students, yet stereotypes and unconscious bias prevents them from feeling truly welcome in STEM. As a science teacher, I need to be more aware of my unintentional biases so that I can encourage my young women in middle school to persevere in STEM classes. One way I can do that is by checking how many times I call on each gender during discussion. Something this simple can help my female students gain confidence in the subject matter covered in my classes. Some of the items I correctly assumed about STEM education include preparation for 21st century careers, and the importance of collaboration and problem solving skills. When our students today join the workforce, they will need to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed at whatever the future throws at them. By emphasizing STEM in our classrooms we can help our students know the content, while giving them the social skills and perseverance to successfully complete in future job markets.